The Greatest Enemy – Countryballs Animated

Germany under the Nazi Regime was responsible for some of the worst tragedies to befall in the previous century. The conflict Hitler started claimed the lives of close to 60 million people. Yet. in the immediate aftermath of the war, the country rose back from the ashes into a fledgling democracy and rising economic power (Well, West Germany to be exact). Following the fall of the iron curtain, West Germany united with its eastern counterpart and played a crucial role in the successful transition of the formerly communist eastern Europe integrate into the capitalist Western economy. This Countryball short from Youtuber LL shows a bit of this history in a beautifully crafted short animation.

What are Countryballs?

Countryballs, a.k.a Polandball, is an internet meme that first originated in 2009 on the German imageboard, Krautchan. Countryballs typically manifest as online comics, where countries are represented as ball-shaped characters interacting with each other and poking fun at national stereotypes and international affairs, as well as historical events.